Apparatus for electrolyzing ores.



No. 657,032. Patented Aug. 28, I900.

A. M. ROUSE.

APPARATUS FOR ELEGTROLYZING ORES.

[Application filed Nov. 1,' 1899.)

(No Model.)

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lTED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

ALBION M. ROUSE, or DENVER, COLORADO, AssIeNOR OF ONE-HALF To WILLIAM asniinn AND FRANK BRO Ks, or SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR ELECTROLYZING ORElS SIECIFZCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 657,032, dated August 28, 1800. Application filed November 1, 1892. $erial No- 735,476-' (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBION M. ROUSE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Electrolyzing Ores, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to an apparatus for electrolyzing ores for the purpose of electrolytically separating metals therefrom.

The invention, briefly stated, consists of a tank in which the ore is deposited with a suit:- able solvent and a centrally located tube arranged in said tank containing an agitator through the operation of which the ore-pulp and a suitable solvent may be conveyed from the main portion of the tank into and up through the centrally-located tube in such a manner that the solvent falls slowly in the main portion of the tank and rises rapidly in the central tube.

My invention further consists in the construetion and arrangement of the details of the apparatus, which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates the apparatus in vertical section, and Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views of the rotating cups.

1 designates the tank, containing a compartment 2 and a centrally-located tube 3. The upper end of the tank contains framework 4., connected by rods 5 to the bottom thereof and supporting a bearing-box 6, that receives the upper end of a shaft 7, equipped with a pinion 8. The pinion 8 receives the engagement of a drivingpinion 9 on the shaft 10, mounted in a box 11 and provided with a driving-pulley 12. At the bottom of the tank is an outlet 13, beneath which is a dischargeduct 14, normally closed by a valve 15, hung on a lever 16, pivoted at one end and supported at its opposite end by a stirrup 17. The stirrup 17 contains a set-screw 18, by which the lever may be firmly upheld to maintain the valve 15 firmly to the dischargeduct let.

WVithin the tube 3 near its lower end is a ring 19, and at the lower end of said tube are openin gs 20, that provide communication from the compartment 2 to the interior of the tube. Fixed to the lower end of the shaft 7 by akey 7 is an inner cup 21, from the lower side of which wings 22 depend. 23 is an outer cup fixed to the wings 22, so that both the inner and outer cups 21 and 23 and the wings intermediate thereof are all carried by the shaft 7, the outer cup traveling in contact with the ring 19 in the rotation of the said shaft.

In the practical use of this apparatus the Ore-pulp or ground ore is deposited with solvent into the compartment 2 and motion is imparted to the shaft 7 through power applied to the pulley 12 and the gearing connected therewith. The rotation of the shaft '7 causes rotation of the cups 21 and 23 and the wings intermediate thereof, thereby causing said parts to act as a pump or agitator within the tube 3, and the solvent which has entered the tube 3 from the compartment 2 through the openings 20 is raised by centrifugal action within the tube. This causes a suction through the openings 20 from the compartment 2 by which the ore-pulp and solvent in said compartment are drawn into the lower end of the tube and upwardly through the space between the wings 22 and elevated to the open upper end of said tube, from which they again pass into the compartment 2. The ore-pulp and solvent descend by gravitation in the compartment 2 and are again taken up into the tube as before and elevated therethrough, this action going on continuously during the operation of the apparatus.

With the apparatus any suitable system of anodes and cathodes may be used, placed in advantageous positions.

By the use of the apparatus the ore-pulp is kept in constant movement from two forces via, that of hydraulic action caused The rapid mo-.

tion of the pump or agitator through which all of the pulp passes aids in the dissolution of the ore-pulp in the ore under treatment. The slow motion of the pulp by gravitation in the outer compartment allows excellent opportunity for the electricalcnr-rent in its action of separating the metals from the pulp,

drawing them to the cathodes. electrolyte may be used.

I claim as my invention- 1. In an apparatus of the class described having an anode and a cathode suitably ar- Any suitable ranged therein, the combination of a tank having an outer compartment, a tube located within said tank having an open upper end and provided at its lower endwith communication from said compartment, a drivingshaft projecting within said tube, inner and outer cups carried by said shaft and wings charge duct, and a valve arranged to close said duct, substantially as described.

ALBION M. ROUSE.

In presence or- C. S. FAUROT,

J. H. POM'EROY. 

